Repro

The steel steam trawler Repro was launched from the Beverley yard of Cook, Welton and Gemmell Ltd (Yard No 197) on 13th April 1910. She measured 117’3 x 22.0′ x 11.7′ and her tonnage was 230 gross tons, 105 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by C D Holmes and Co Ltd, Hull delivering 63 nominal horse power. Ordered by George F Sleight, Grimsby she was registered in this port on 9th June 1910 GY510, part of a fleet whose black, blue and white hooped funnels were a common sight in the bustling fishing town in the early years of this century. In February 1915 she was requisitioned by the Ministry of War for duty on the British east coast. She was fitted with a single six pound gun as her only armament and converted to minesweeper FY1138.

On the morning of 26th April, 1917 her skipper, Herbert Edward Thomson RN, received a message to proceed, with HMT Taranaki, to escort the oiler Scotol to Inchkeith in the River Forth. He had a crew of twelve men aboard. The two trawlers exchanged signals and proceeded north to intercept their charge. The weather was fine and the wind light and westerly leaving the sea smooth and calm. By 10:00pm that evening they were approximately three miles from Tod Head when they observed two ships approaching from the north which they thought might be Scotol and another vessel. At this point Repro was about two hundred yards behind Taranaki. The skipper of Taranaki, Lieutenant George Elvin RNR, reported later that, as he slowed to talk to the approaching ships at around 10:20pm, he heard a dull explosion from his rear. He immediately turned back to look for Repro but could find no trace. Not even floating wreckage marked the ship’s sinking. Taranaki reported the loss to the Senior Naval Officer in Aberdeen who suggested they search the area till daylight but nothing was found. All of her crew had perished when the ship hit a mine later reported to have been laid by German U-boat UC-41 commanded by Kurt Bernis.

Hydrographic Department indicate the wreck in position 56° 49.478’N, 002° 07.660’W in a depth of 53 metres as possibly the Repro. However this wreck has been positively identified as the Lowdock. The KTB of UC-41 indicates her mines were laid well north of Tod Head. Recent excellent research and analysis by Kevin Heath (lostinwatersdeep.co.uk) suggests that Repro actually struck a mine laid, not by UC-41 as previously reported, by UC-77 on 26th March 1917 SE of Tod Head. The position of these mines certainly closely matches the approximate position of the loss of Repro described in Admiralty records as 56 51N, 02 08W.

Local divers have reported a wreck in 56° 52.226’N, 002° 10.780’W which is now believed to be Repro. The 35 metre long wreck lying in 35 metres is certainly the wreck of a steam trawler. Her bow is more or less in tact, her boiler and triple expansion engine angled to starboard are visible midships but the stern section is basically destroyed. While we are not aware of anything recovered to absolutely confirm her identity the location and configuration of the wreck make this almost certain.

We would like to thank Naomi Watson for her permission to use her underwater photographs of the wreck in this article.

We would also like to acknowledge the excellent research by Kevin Heath which provided a correction to the historical record regarding this loss.  More detail can be examined on the website lostinwatersdeep.co.uk